Comments on: Watching Bill http://elephantwords.co.uk/2009/12/01/watching-bill/ One Image, Six Writers, Daily Words. The site about Interpretation, Inspiration and Improvisation. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:51:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Nicolas Papaconstantinou http://elephantwords.co.uk/2009/12/01/watching-bill/#comment-21579 Nicolas Papaconstantinou Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:17:25 +0000 http://elephantwords.co.uk/2009/12/01/watching-bill/#comment-21579 Nothing that really happened, no... just working through a particular preoccupation I'd had for a bit before that image came around. There are always a few irritating stories about education and parenting drifting around at any one time to keep this at the forefront of my mind. It's worth noting, though, that Bill could just as easily have been a bad teacher. By which I mean there are plenty... they get to shelter in a cultural ecosystem that encourages some fairly negative behaviours in <i>everyone</i>. Nothing that really happened, no… just working through a particular preoccupation I’d had for a bit before that image came around.

There are always a few irritating stories about education and parenting drifting around at any one time to keep this at the forefront of my mind.

It’s worth noting, though, that Bill could just as easily have been a bad teacher. By which I mean there are plenty… they get to shelter in a cultural ecosystem that encourages some fairly negative behaviours in everyone.

]]> By: Rivka Jacobs http://elephantwords.co.uk/2009/12/01/watching-bill/#comment-20759 Rivka Jacobs Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:11:39 +0000 http://elephantwords.co.uk/2009/12/01/watching-bill/#comment-20759 This is a very interesting, and somewhat complex story. Is it based on anything that really happened? Because there is a sense of realism here. The way one small mistake can cause someone to become a target, equally because of the unfair microscopic scrutiny of others, and a mushrooming internal self-doubt bordering on paranoia. You tell us two things that let the reader know Bill is actually a good teacher. "Bill doesn't think that children should get what they want." And, "But Bill thinks children should be happy." And as you say, getting what you want and being happy aren't necessarily one and the same thing. Kind of a slice of life, a moment in Bill's life, a good teacher on a downward spiral. This is a very interesting, and somewhat complex story. Is it based on anything that really happened? Because there is a sense of realism here. The way one small mistake can cause someone to become a target, equally because of the unfair microscopic scrutiny of others, and a mushrooming internal self-doubt bordering on paranoia.

You tell us two things that let the reader know Bill is actually a good teacher. “Bill doesn’t think that children should get what they want.” And, “But Bill thinks children should be happy.” And as you say, getting what you want and being happy aren’t necessarily one and the same thing.

Kind of a slice of life, a moment in Bill’s life, a good teacher on a downward spiral.

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